Learn about the lives of Vermont's migrant farm workers and a grassroots outreach project designed to support these workers' mental health.

Nurse Julia Grand Doucet was working with the Open Door Clinic of Middlebury providing health services to underinsured Vermonters when she became concerned about the isolation experienced by Vermont's migrant farm workers. She began to brainstorm ways for the workers to share their stories with each other. The El Viaje Más Caro Project was the result.

Vermont Folkilfe helped record the personal stories of 19 different workers, each of which was adapted and illustrated by a different New England cartoonist. The resulting Spanish language comics were then distributed to farm workers. Today, the collected edition of all the stories is published in English as "The Most Costly Journey."

On Thursday, February 9, 6 pm, at Warren Public Library, Andy Kolovos from the Vermont Folklife Center and/ Julia Grand Doucet from the Open Door Clinic provide an overview of the goals of the El Viaje Más Caro Project, the collaborative methods that define its approach, and insight into the lives and experiences of the workers whose labor supports the continued viability of dairy farming in Vermont.

Sponsored by the MRV Libraries with assistance from Vermont Humanities. Part of the Vermont Reads Program. All are welcome.

Event Info

Nov 6, 2024, 6:30 to 8:30 PM

Nov 8, 9 AM to 3 PM, Nov 9, 2024

Nov 9, 2024, 11:30 AM to 3 PM